It’s the first day of summer – and by now, school’s out and students are free to spend even more time on electronic devices. This may be the perfect time to have a “cyber safety” conversation and encourage careful online behavior. According to SavvyCyberKids.org: 92% of teens are online daily, including 24% who are almost constantly online. 92% of two-year olds in the United States have an online record. Children are often introduced to electronic devices…
It’s been a month since Microsoft issued warnings about BlueKeep vulnerabilities affecting older versions of its Windows operating system. Ongoing warnings about its “wormable” pattern persist, meaning it is susceptible for exploitation. Microsoft has been comparing this vulnerability to the WannaCry event that spread globally, affecting millions of computers in 2017. We encourage you to ensure that your IT team has thoroughly reviewed your network and is patching any affected systems promptly. We are also…
Staying current with emerging cybersecurity trends is critical to all of us on a commercial and personal level. And what better environment to attain those insights than participating in the annual RSA Conference (“RSAC”), which attracts cyberrisk’s leading thinkers and practioners. The OneBeacon Technology Insurance team has been there all week, hearing from a broad variety of specialists. The conference theme is “Better” – a highly encouraging call to action, given emerging privacy concerns and…
Most of us are aware of ransomware and how prolific those attacks have become. But what about cyber attacks without demands for payment, where the “currency” is simply stealth access to your network? “Cryptojacking” is that latest iteration of cyber intrusion. We are pleased to share our colleague Tushar Nandwana’s article recently published in Carrier Management titled “Cryptojacking: Where Stealth Meets Payoff.” For additional insights on emerging technology trends, feel free to browse our whitepaper…
Leaving the key in the ignition of an unlocked car is an open invitation to a thief. When it comes to cybersecurity, a weak password is the key that unlocks the door to your critical information. Startling Statistics According to Verizon’s 2017 Data Breach Investigations Report, 81% of hacking-related breaches leveraged stolen and/or weak passwords. The website HaveIBeenPwned reports that nearly 520 million passwords have been exposed in data breaches. Admittedly, the number of passwords…
This post originally appeared in Equipment Connection, the Hartford Steam Boiler and Inspection Company’s (HSB) blog authored by Monique Ferrarro, Cyber Practice Counsel at HSB. There are many ways you can lose data from your computer or mobile devices, but the most common causes tend to be: Equipment or system failure, such as the hard drive crashing Human error, such as accidentally deleting files or dropping your phone Viruses and malware, with ransomware becoming a growing threat Anyone who has been the victim…
How many warnings have you seen about clicking on unfamiliar links or confirming emails to be sure the sender is a known and trusted source? Typically the goal is avoiding a computer virus, but today, we also need to consider digital pirates eager to seize computer files in exchange for a ransom fee. Sound far-fetched? Hardly; ransomware has been around since 1989 and has become more widespread in recent years. Furthermore, these digital pirates are…
Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, the season to enjoy some downtime with family and friends. As you relax, remember not to let your guard down when it comes to “phishing.” Phishing, or the deceitful practice of sending an email designed to entice the user to click on a malicious link or attachment, is one of the most common forms of social attack. In their quest to obtain confidential or personal information for…
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